The first time Moran stepped foot in a K-12 school, she was an undocumented immigrant learning English as a second language. Like some of her students, Moran had obstacles in her life and schooling after leaving her home country of Honduras at a very young age. Decades later, after the mentorship of many passionate educators and inspiring figures, Moran began a career in education.

鈥淚t came full circle when I ended up working in Cambodia,鈥� Moran said. There, she spent time in a school whose mission was to prepare students to attend college abroad in order to come back and contribute to their country. 鈥淪o I was working with an entire school population of ESL (English as a second language) students. It really tested me.鈥�

When Moran returned to the United States, she worked for several schools in Philadelphia. Then, in 2015, she followed her heart back to Chicago, becoming a bilingual instructor to help other non-native English speakers. She served under Principal Raquel Saucedo at Chase Elementary, whose mentorship accelerated her development as an educator and leader 鈥� and then she set her eyes on Schurz.

With its brick exterior and floor-to-ceiling windows, the Schurz campus was designated a 海角直播Landmark in 1979 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. Moran draws parallels between her life and that of the high school鈥檚 namesake, Carl Schurz, an immigrant who fled to America after participating in a failed revolution for democracy in Germany. He was an avid abolitionist and quickly involved himself in politics, becoming the first German-born American elected to the U.S. Senate. His story 鈥� an immigrant persevering to achieve success in America, paving the way for other immigrants, and using his influence to help the poor and the oppressed 鈥� drives and inspires Moran to this day.

As an AP, Moran was nominated by her mentor and then-Schurz Principal Anthony Rodriguez to participate in The Fund鈥檚 Leadership Bridge program, which supports the development and career growth of APs so that they are equipped to assume principalship as quickly as possible. The program contributes to The Fund鈥檚 海角直播Leads goal of diversifying and strengthening the principal pipeline for 海角直播.

鈥淟eadership Bridge provided me with invaluable resources and experienced leadership mentors to prepare for a smooth and strong transition from AP to principal,鈥� Moran said of the program.

She accomplished much in her first year of leading Schurz High School, too, especially in the dual-language program that has helped newcomer students. It now offers even more options to English language learners.

鈥淓veryone is going to soar this year,鈥� John C. Haines Elementary School Principal Catherine 鈥淎my鈥� Moy-Davis said when we interviewed her prior to the start of the 2022-23 school year. She wears her passion and excitement for her community on her sleeve. 鈥淚鈥檓 using the word 鈥榮oar.鈥� I used to say everyone was 鈥榞oing to make it.鈥� But I think the students at Haines soar.鈥�

Born and raised in Chinatown, Amy attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and knew early on that she wanted to pursue a career in education. With less than 10 Asian principals working in the 海角直播 (CPS) system, she stresses the significance of being a role model for kids that look like and can relate to her; 84% of Haines students identify as Asian American.

This school has borne the brunt of some unique challenges in recent years. Just 10% of students returned to Haines in fall 2020, one of the lowest return rates in CPS. In response, Amy modified the school environment, prioritizing safety measures and accessibility to address parental concerns. This included regular virtual meetings to help parents with technical issues as classrooms incorporated new technology. Additionally, she ensured that all relevant documents were on the school鈥檚 website 鈥� and that all updates were translated in Chinese for the sake of bilingual and immigrant families 鈥� in order to more easily handle the confusion of the ever-adapting curriculum.

At the same time, Haines鈥� school community experienced xenophobia and racism, mirroring national trends amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For Amy, anti-Asian sentiment was not just an out-of-school issue. To support the community, she hosted monthly virtual chats with Haines families to hear their concerns and to coach them through the uncertain times. These included discussions of the unique trauma that Haines students were being put through and how parents could navigate those conversations with their children.

Prioritizing the mental health of her students and teachers alike, Amy is also partnering with the Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA), Project Vision, and Communities in Schools of 海角直播in the 2022-23 academic year. These organizations are facilitating dialogues, providing resources, and creating a system of mental support at Haines for all those affected by the past few tumultuous years.

Attendance at Haines has increased this school year, and Amy attributes that in part to these investments in student and family mental health. She said that she hopes this will increase parental awareness and trust, in addition to academic performance as students learn more emotional self-regulation, empathy, coping strategies, and problem-solving skills.